Some of the greatest professional challenges we face often have to do less with meeting particular performance goals and more with maintaining positive, productive relationships. That’s especially the case when it comes to difficult employees.
There are managers whose solution to handling a tough relationship – be it with someone who has a grating personality or with the office’s squeaky wheel – is either avoidance or disposal (cutting their losses, getting rid of the poor soul and finding a replacement less inclined to rock the boat). When work styles or personalities clash, this can be a tempting course of action. But the fact of the matter is that even dislikable employees, when they do their jobs well, are essential.
Harvard Business Review recently published a piece on the topic, “How to Manage Someone You Don’t Like.” The author, Amy Gallo, cautions against building a team strictly comprised of staff “you’d invite to a backyard barbeque.”
Sure, work might be more enjoyable if we were surrounded by people just like us, making those relationships easy. But a homogeneous workforce isn’t good for business. “Yes men” aren’t likely to challenge the status quo or to voice concern with issues of mistreatment or noncompliance. Gallo quotes Robert Sutton, a professor of management science and engineering at Stanford: “…people who have different points of view and aren’t afraid to argue… are the kind of people who stop the organization from doing stupid things.”
When faced with a difficult employee relationship, Gallo recommends considering whether you’re actually causing the issue. Ask yourself if you have a problem with the employee because a) they remind you of someone else, b) you’re afraid of being like this person or c) they’re a member of some group you have a problem with. If any of these are the case, a change in your own perspective and attitude may be in order.
The article also suggests focusing on dislikable employees’ positive attributes and what they bring to the table to help your team. Likewise, to maintain a balanced view of your staff, acknowledge the flaws in your favorite employees (we all have them, don’t we?).
Read more here.
Published by Conselium Executive Search, the global leader in compliance search.
